YORK COUNTY, Maine — This is Community Champions Week for the famous Meals on Wheels program.
Elected leaders and first responders join regular volunteers as they deliver meals to seniors; many of whom are homebound.
NEWS CENTER Maine tagged along with teams from the Southern Maine Agency on Aging, which distributes about 5,000 meals each week to more than 1,000 residents in York and Cumberland Counties.
Ashley Perrone, the agency's healthy living director, said her volunteers get as much out of this as the people they serve.
"I mean, at the end of the day, when you see all the meals go out the door; you see the volunteers heading out on their roots. And you know that they’re bringing good nutrition to these people who need it most. It’s incredibly rewarding," she said.
Not only does the agency deliver all of those meals each week. If any recipient can't heat their own meal, the agency has a "warming crew" who will come to heat it up for them. The agency also offers daily wellness check calls for those who sign up.